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Books that you've read and have felt smarter after.

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After Moby Dick, my head felt bigger, fatter, heavier.
After Murphy by Samuel Beckett, I felt overwhelmed (but in a good way).
After 3 Uses Of The Knife by David Mamet, I felt I had a greater handle on "the nature and purpose of Drama."
After Why Did I Ever by Mary Robison, I felt that anything was possible.
After Letters To A Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke, I started writing more and acting less.
After Fight Club, I stopped writing plays and I started writing fiction.

I'm trying to think of a non-fiction book that engaged my intellect. I can easily think of books that engage other things, but my intellect? Hmn. Can't think of any. Non-fiction is easy, of course. I'll have to think about that. Good question.

A People's History of the United States by Howard Zinn. Sorry, this has to be here. The only history book of which I'm aware that highlights the labor movement in America.

Ledfeather by Stephen Graham Jones. Finished this earlier today/yesterday, and it's a brilliant fiction. Beautiful and intellectual at the same time. Never let anyone tell you that's impossible after you read this.

The Crying of Lot 49 by Thomas Pynchon. The most twisty short novel I've ever encountered. Not a whole lot to say about this, except for read it.

The Sea Came in at Midnight by Steve Erickson. Okay, this one I have nothing to say about. Just do it, though.

Philosophy books, and pretty much every one of them. I've only been into philosophy this year and have only read a slew of the dialogues, but have listened to a lot of audio books. The Giants of Philosophy series is great, narrated by Charlton Heston. I've listened to David Hume, Arthur Schopenhauer, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle from that series. The Black Swan, narrated by the author Nassim Nicolas Taleb, was my favorite and the guy pretty much put a name to what I've believed all my life. But the most mind broadening was The Path to Enlightenment, written by the Dala Lama and narrated by Richard Gere.

As far as fiction goes, The Sea Wolf by Jack London which is what got me into philosophy, and everything by Vonnegut.

Philosophy books, and pretty much every one of them. I've only been into philosophy this year and have only read a slew of the dialogues, but have listened to a lot of audio books. The Giants of Philosophy series is great, narrated by Charlton Heston. I've listened to David Hume, Arthur Schopenhauer, Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle from that series. The Black Swan, narrated by the author Nassim Nicolas Taleb, was my favorite and the guy pretty much put a name to what I've believed all my life. But the most mind broadening was The Path to Enlightenment, written by the Dala Lama and narrated by Richard Gere.

As far as fiction goes, The Sea Wolf by Jack London which is what got me into philosophy, and everything by Vonnegut.

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